The only way is up
by Emmasrj
Summary: After Sydney breaks it off with her boyfriend, she finds comfort in badboy adrian. Sydney is crumpeling under the high pressure of her father. Adrian is trying to control his moodswings, while fighting his urges.
1. Chapter 1

_**A/N: All the characters belong to Richelle Mead.**_

"You're never there when I need you, all you do is tell me some statistics like that's supposed to make me feel better." This is how a lot of our fights are these days, I have something I need to talk about and he just gets very clinical.

"I don't know how I'm supposed to help you Sydney, but at least I'm trying. That's more than I can say about you."

"What is that supposed to mean Brayden?"

"It means that you are always so caught up in your own messes to care about anyone else." After our numerous fights I'm getting used to him telling me I'm selfish, but it still hurts. Rose told me to break it off with him, but I haven't had the courage to do so. I had promised Rose that I would break it off the next time we had a fight. I honestly want to do it, I can just never get myself to do it, and so my next words are a surprise to both of us. "Well then why are we still together?" He looks shocked to say the least.

"Be-because that's just how it is."

"That isn't a good enough reason." I say coldly, as I turn to leave. It feels good to finally leave all this, the constant fighting, and only being together because that's how it is. I barely hear Braydon's next words. "What do you mean?"

"I'm saying I've had enough, and that I'm leaving. For good." I leave feeling relived, but feeling like a constant in my life is suddenly gone.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: All the characters belong to Richelle Mead**

The next day at school goes by silently, when I tell Rose I broke up with Brayden she's happy for me. The only time I see him is when I walk by him and he just stares at me. I eat lunch with Rose and her friends, Lissa, Dimitri, Christian, Jill, and Eddie. Rose's ex-boyfriend Adrian also used to sit here, but a few months ago when Rose cheated on him with Dimitri he stopped. No one really knows what happened with him, only that he doesn't come to school very often anymore, and that he is often seen getting drunk at parties. As if reading my thoughts Eddie asks: "Anybody know how Adrian's doing, after the incident?" He says the last part glancing at Rose.

"No," Lissa says. "But you can probably find him in the art room." When everybody looks at her, she just says: "What? Just because you guys aren't friends with him anymore doesn't mean I can't be." It's more the thought of Adrian Ivashkov doing art that makes me stare.

"I'm not going to go find him." Eddie looks around the table. "But I think someone should."

"Syd can you do it?" Rose asks. When I look at her questionably she continues. "You know since you are able to keep emotions out of pretty much everything." This just further offends me, but when everybody tells me it's a good idea I cave. "Fine, I'll do it, but only so you guys will shut up."

* * *

The art room is empty. I look around a bit, but decides it isn't worth it if he isn't here. As I turn to leave I hear a sound coming from a closet. I turn around and walk toward it. Inside the closet there is a box, toppled over, and just behind it stands Adrian Ivashkov.

"Need help?" I ask, nodding to the box.

"Sure," he says. I walk forward and grab some of the supplies that fell out of the box. When everything is in the box, and the box is in the art room I turn to him. I see that he has a little bit of paint on his cheek, it annoys me. He is tall and lean, his brown hair is artfully messy, and his eyes are green orbs staring right at me.

"Eddie wanted to know if you're okay and how you're doing, and Rose told me to do it," I say. "So how are you?"

"I'm fine," he doesn't look directly at me as he says this. "Just a little surprised she cares about how I am."

"Well technically Eddie was the one wondering."

"You are really a downer you know that right."

"You're not the first one to tell me that today," I mutter as I turn. "I'll leave you alone know." I walk towards the door but he grabs my wrist.

"I don't even know your name."

"I'm Sydney Sage." I feel the warmth of his hand through the fabric of my sleeve. I look down at where his fingers are looked around my wrist and up at him. He is looking right at me, almost like he is seeing through me.

"Well Sage, I feel like I should repay you for the help." His words catch me by surprise. He's still holding my wrist, but I find myself liking his warmth. "How about we go out for dinner?"

"I can't," I say. He looks down almost embarrassed. "It's just my father doesn't like me going out. But," I say looking at my clock. "There's still some left of lunch, so how about I take you to the cafeteria, it should be mostly empty by now anyway."

"Sure," he says. We leave the art rom and walk toward the cafeteria.

* * *

As I predicted the cafeteria is almost empty, all our friend are gone now. I walk next to Adrian as he gets his food. I try to make small talk, it doesn't go very well. He keeps talking not leaving me with much love to answer, and when I am saying something he interrupts. When he finally let me talk it's because he asks about my family. I find myself telling him about my father, and the extreme pressure he puts me under.  
We sit down at a table near the back, me across from him, him eating his lunch. His talking is slowing down, and he's just looking at me. With those amazingly green eyes, that look right through me.  
"So sage," he says. "Why did you agree to eat lunch with me?"  
"Because you seem like you need a friend," I say. When he looks up at me I add: "I mean you're always getting drunk, and you seem like you're on a downward spiral ever since the Rose incident."  
"Well I'm glad you're worried," he says, looking slightly angry. "But I don't need to become your charity case." He gets up and moves to walk away. I get up after him and grab his wrist.  
"That's not what I mean." I need to make him stay, I feel like I have finally found someone to talk to, so I need to make him stay. I panic and do probably the most idiotic thing I can do. I turn him towards me completely, then I grab his face and kiss him. He kisses me back, and thank god for that or else this would be awkward. When he pulls away, I already miss his warmth. He looks at me like I'm a puzzle he wants to solve.  
"Now, why'd you do that Sage?" he asks.  
"Because I wanted you to stay," I say. "Simple as that."  
"Well I can defiantly get used to it." He leans down and kisses me again. "Would you like to go out with me?"  
"Yes," I say, leaning close to him. "But my father can never know."  
"Then we have a deal Sage." He kisses me again. I feel slightly bad that I only kisses him to keep him here, but what can a date do. It's not like we're going to fall in love, we're about as different as it comes.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: All the characters belong to Richelle Mead**

For the next few days I try to ignore Adrian. What I did was wrong, I'm embarrassed and I don't want him to think I have feelings for him. This plan gets ruined when I realize I have history with him.

Miss Terwilliger is in front of the class just starting, when Adrian comes in. He sits down behind me. Miss Terwilliger glares at him but continues on. I can't pay attention to what she is saying with Adrian sitting behind me. I begin feeling a slight tug on my hair, but not like someone's pulling it, just touching it. I look behind me and see Adrian with a section of my hair in his hands. He's looking at Miss Terwilliger like it's extremely interesting, he probably doesn't know what he's doing. He looks at me, then down at his hands. He drops my hair looking embarrassed. I just smile at him and turn back to face the front of the class.

Through the last part of class I can feel the slight tuck at my hair.

* * *

After class I try to get out before Adrian so that he won't talk to me. He still does. Just as I'm making my way out of class, towards the cafeteria for lunch, he grabs my wrist. I keep walking dragging him with me. When we get into the hallway, people walking around us, I finally turn towards him. The look on his face surprises me, he looks slightly angry but also kind of sad.

"Why have you been ignoring me Sage?" he asks. I meet his eyes and find those amazingly green eyes.

"I'm not," I answer. I can see in his face that he knows I lied. He grabs my hand and drags me towards, the other end of the school. He pulls me into the library and sits down behind a few shelves. I sit down across from him, looking at the way his body slump.

"Please, Sage," he begins. "Why are you ignoring me?" He says it with so much emotion in his voice, it almost breaks my heart.

"Because," I say, looking at him. "It was a mistake, I never should've kissed you."

"Well, if I'm annoying you I will get going." He starts to stand up.

"Wait, Adrian." He turns towards me. Him standing, and me looking up at him from the floor.

"You're sending mixed signals."

"I know, but what will people say if they find out about it. I mean I did just break up with Brayden."

"I don't care what people will say."

"Well I do." I look down at my feet.

I hear him walk up to me. Adrian takes my chin and forces me to look at him. "Then we won't tell anyone."

"Okay," I whisper, before remembering another reason I had ignored him. "Adrian do you still love Rose?"

He looks at me like I asked him the secrets of the universe. "Well how do you define love?

"Are you still in love with her?"

"No, I don't think so. I mean it still hurts sometimes. But I'm not attracted to her in that way."

"Okay," I say. Then I drag him down to me and kiss him. It seems to coma as a surprise for him, he doesn't pull back but it takes him a few seconds for him to kiss back. When he does he's great. I try not to think about why he's so good but the thought is still there. Our mouths are open, when he slightly bites my lower lip I make a slight moan, it's a sound I would normally be embarrassed by. But not now. We continue for a little but, he begins making his way down my neck. I begin gasping, he silences me by going back to my mouth.

Suddenly I hear someone whistling. We break the kiss, looking towards the source of the noise. There at the end of the book shelves, stands Rose and Dimitri. They looked shocked, to say the least.

"You can't tell anyone!" I blurt out.

"How come?" Dimitri asks.

"Because my father is very strict, he would probably lock me in a tower."

"Didn't you just break up with Brayden?" Rose asks. "Well everybody knew about you two, so how's this different?"

"Because, Adrian and Brayden are very different types of people," I say not wanting to look at anyone.

"What are you insinuating?" Adrian asks behind me. I turn around, he looks curious, and a bit angry.

"Well we'll leave," Rose says. I turn to her. "We'll keep your little secret."

* * *

After they leave Adrian and I sit in silence. Me thinking the actions over. Him just staring at some of the shelves.

"What did you mean when you said that me and Brayden are so different?" He asks. I look at him, all I wanna do is wrap my arms around him.

"I meant that you are not the kind of person my father would approve of. Like Brayden was." He just looks at me, asking me a silent question. "You drink, smoke, and has probably slept with half the girls in town. Whereas Brayden was smart, always sober, and my ideal boyfriend according to my father." I look at him and see the hurt cross his face.

"Is that really what you think of me?" It's almost a whisper. "You really think the only thing to me is the fact that I do those things. And by the way I haven't slept with that many." His voice gets louder.

"Well," I say. "That is your reputation. If you say you haven't slept with that many I believe you. By the way, it's not like my father would ever find this acceptable." Adrian looks slightly angry.

"You know." His voice has gotten higher. "I honestly thought you were different." He says standing up. "But obviously, you only think of me as my reputation."

"Wait, Adrian," I start, but he's already gone.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: All characters belong to Richelle Mead**

I don't talk to Adrian for the rest of the day, seeing as he probably just need to cool down. During math class Rose kept giving me weird looks. Which I ignored.

After school I find Adrian in the parking lot, smoking. I walk up to him, he doesn't see me until I'm standing next to him.

"What do you want, Sage?" He asks. "Here to bash my lifestyle?"

"Not originally," I say. "But now that you say it, smoking is a bad habit." He glances at me so I continue. "Also I wanted to say sorry for what happened in the library." I walk away. He doesn't stop me.

* * *

The next day at lunch I sit with Rose again. Eddie and Jill are whispering about something, but aside from that nobody's talking. Everybody keep looking at me with not so casual looks. Obviously Rose has told them about the library incident yesterday.

"Just spit it out," I say looking at everybody. Rose and Lissa make eye contact over the table. Then Lissa turns to me, looking concerned.

"I love Adrian," she starts. "But just be safe."

"Relax," I say. "It doesn't matter, it won't ever happen again." I turn back to my salad, gutting of the conversation I really wish I hadn't started. '

"Sydney," Rose says. "All we mean is-"

"It doesn't matter," I almost yell. "It was a mistake, and it'll never happen again."

* * *

The rest of the week goes by without anyone else wanting to talk about Adrian. Adrian himself hasn't tried to talk to me so it's great.

On Friday Rose forces me to go to a party with her. At first my farther hadn't liked the idea, but my mother convinced him to let me.

So here I am sitting on Rose's bed, while she and Lissa find something for me to wear. I had told them not to find anything too revealing. They pull out a dress made mainly out of lace, it had long sleeves and a high neck. It goes to mid-thigh, and is fairly tight. I begin shaking my head, this defiantly count as revealing in my book.

"Come on," Rose says. "At least try it on."

"Yeah," Lissa says. We just began talking recently when Rose introduced us, I always got on better with her sister Jill, and so things still get awkward sometimes. "It'll look great on you."

"Fine," I say. I change into the dress, it looks good but I won't wear I had been planning on just wearing jeans and a blouse.

When Rose and Lissa sees it they get incredibly excited. When I begin telling them I won't wear it, they stop me before I can change.

"Please Syd," Lissa says. She is quite persistent so I end up wearing it. While Rose and Lissa get ready I read up on some homework.

* * *

The party is already in full swing when we get there, I see a few faces I recognize. Eddie and Jill aren't here since she wasn't allowed, Eddie decided to stay with her. There's a groups of boys playing beer pong and making and awful lot of noise. When Lissa sees Christian she runs up to him. Soon thereafter Rose locates Dimitri, leaving me alone. I find something to drink, a diet coke, and sit down on a couch with my phone. Looking busy.

There are a bunch of people dancing, I see Rose trying to get Dimitri to dance with her. Christian is doing some weird trick involving fire, which seems dangerous since most people here are intoxicated. I still walk up to him, just so it seems like I'm not alone.

"Hey, Syd," he says, clearly drunk. "Look at this." He does something which makes small flames erupt. Nothing too impressive, but I still tell him it's great. At least someone's having a good time.

He tries to get me to have a drink with him. I say no, I don't drink, and there are too many calories in alcoholic beverages. We talk for a bit, about a lot of things, Lissa, School. He never tries to talk with me about Adrian, and I'm grateful for that. He begins looking over my shoulder, his eyes widening. I turn around to see what's causing this reaction.

There Adrian stands in the other corner of the room. There wouldn't have been anything wrong with that, except he isn't alone. A dark haired girl, wearing very little clothing is with him. She is holding onto his collars, pulling his face down to hers. They kiss but it isn't sweet, it's filled with passion and lust.

I turn away not wanting to see any more of it. Adrian is allowed to do anything he wants, but that doesn't stop the feeling of envy forming in my stomach. I look at Christian, he seems so happy. How is he so happy? I ask him, and he just laughs.

"Alcohol," he says dead serious.

I walk away from him, I don't mean to but I find myself at the table housing drinks. I decide to test his theory. I find some vodka, and pour some into my diet coke. As I take a sip from it I realize that I probably poured too much into it. It tastes like rubbing alcohol. I still continue drinking, hoping it will take the edge off my bad mood.

Soon I find myself talking to some brown haired boy, laughing at everything he says. He plants his hand on my cheek, I find myself giggling at the sensation. I don't realize what he's doing until his lips are on mine. It so very different from the kiss with Adrian. This is just two drunk people sloppily making out. I pull away from him, and walk to the kitchen, where I find Rose and Adrian talking. They see me when I almost fall into the table.

"Are you okay there Syd?" Rose asks. She looks concerned. Well so does Adrian for that matter.

"I'm fine," I say. "Sorry I interrupted." I turn around just wanting to go home, but I have no way to get home without Lissa, since she's designated driver.

"Sydney," someone calls behind me. I just continue towards the front door. I only get two steps from the porch before I throw up. I feel someone holding my hair.

When I finish I turn around trying to see who stand behind me. It's Adrian, of course he would go after me instead of sending Rose.

I sit down on one of the porch steps, he sits next to me. We don't say anything for a while, just looking out into the night.

"You're an ass," I say.

"Would you like to elaborate?" he asks.

"Just that a few days ago you were kissing me in the library." I hold back tears. Why did I think it would be a good idea to drink? "But now you're making out with someone else."

"Oh, Sage." He grabs my chin, making me look at him. "Is that why you've been drinking?"

"Party. Also Christian told me it would make me happy."

"Well, did it work?"

"It did until I threw up."

"I'm taking you home, Sage." So he does. We don't talk in the car, but when he pulls up in front of my house, I kiss him on the cheek.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: This took me a really long time to write because I didn't really know where i wnated to take the story, but here it is. All characters belong to Richelle Mead.**

I stay at home all weekend. I don't talk to anyone except my family, whom I didn't even talk to after my father said I had to stay home all weekend after the party. Adrian doesn't try to contact me. Which the practical part of me likes. But another part of me, buried deep inside, feels disappointed, wondering what he's doing.

Monday I don't see Adrian once. My assumption is that it's simply because we don't have any classes together, but when I don't see him when I get to lunch I get a little nervous.

"Where's your loverboy?" Lissa asks as I sit down.

"What?" I ask.

"Adrian," Lissa says. ¨

"What does he have to do with anything?"

"She wants to know where he is, she just can't say it like a normal human." Rose throws a fry after Lissa.

"Why would I know?"

"Well, you two are a thing now, right?"

I choke on my drink, is that what everyone thinks? "No, we aren't a thing." I say it harsher than I wanted, but at least it gets the point across.

"Sorry," Lissa says, holding two hands up in surrender. "It's just Adrian said he really liked you. And that hasn't happened since you know." She looks at Rose, who looks at the table.

We eat the rest of our lunch in silence.

…..

The rest of the day I think about what Lissa said. What if it's true?

I don't see him for the rest of the day.

When I don't see him the next day either I begin getting nervous. What if something's wrong?

I decide to just wait for him, I need to talk to him but it'll have to wait until he's back. If he isn't back by Friday I'll go to his house and speak to him.

Wednesday Rose asks me if I did anything to him. Ever since the Dimitri incident she's been protective over Adrian, not wanting him to get even more hurt.

Thursday I don't see him either, Lissa asks me if I have heard anything from him at all. Even Christian seems concerned.

Friday I ask Rose for his home address, she gives it to me with a wry smile.

His house is a big white house at least three stories high. It is located in a posh neighborhood not long from the school.

I ring the doorbell. No one comes so I try again. Still no one. I keep trying, after my fifth try Adrian opens the door. He's wearing sweatpants and no shirt.

"Sydney," he says. "What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to find out if you were okay," I answer. "You haven't been in school all week. Even Christian's concerned."

"Well I'm fine." He snaps at me. I try looking past him into the house, but he's in the way.

"Is this a bad time?" I ask. "You seem very irritable."

"It's nothing." He runs a hand through his hair. "How did you even get this address?"

"Rose gave it to me." Just then the same girl from the party, wearing only Adrian's t-shirt, walks up behind him and whispers something in his ear. After she leaves Adrian turns back to me, but I'm already backing away. "I'm sorry it obviously isn't a good time, I'll see you around."

"Sydney," Adrian calls after me, but I'm already walking towards the street.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: All characters belong to Richelle Mead**

I go to Rose's house, because I'm hurt, angry, and ashamed. Why would I even think Adrian cared about me? He could have anyone he wanted, so why should it be me? The girl who just happens to friends with the same people.

Rose's dad, Abe Mazur, opens the door when I ring the bell. Abe is a trusting man, he has helped me out with a lot of things in my life. But this was boy problems, which I didn't want him to know about.

"Is Rose home?" I ask him.

"Yes. She's upstairs," he answer, and moves away from the doorway so I can come in. "I trust you'll know the way up there."

"Sure." I run past him up the stairs.

Rose's door is open. She's talking to someone on the phone. She sounds happy, and her face is plastered with a wide grin. I can only imagine that it's Dimitri she's talking to. When she spots me she points to her bed and I sit down.

"Bye, hon," she says into the phone. When she turns to me, her grin has not yet disappeared. "What's up? Have you talked to Adrian yet?"

"Yeah. I went to his house, but he was already busy." I say laying down on the bed.

"What happened?" Rose asks, sitting down next to me.

"I went over there. He seemed irritable, I guessed it was just his usual attitude problems. But then the same girl from the party, came out wearing only his shirt." Rose starts playing with my hair. It relaxes me but only a little. "I just feel so stupid. I honestly thought he cared about me, even after what happened at the party. He made me care for him. I care about him that's the worst part. Even after what I just saw, I would probably still go to him if he asked me."

At the end of my little rant Rose looks at me like I'm and entirely new person. Then her phone rings. She looks at it and scoffs.

"Somebody's popular," I say. At the same time Rose says: "Speak of the devil."

"Wait! It's him?" I ask as she answers it. She just nods at me and walks into the bathroom and closes the door. At first I can't hear anything, but then I hear the muffled sounds of her raising her voice.

I move towards the door, so I can better hear at least Rose's part of the conversation. I have to lean all the way up the door, in order to hear what she says.

"Yes Adrian she's here." Silence.

"You care about her?" She raises her voice to a point where she's almost shouting. "Well you really have a funny way of showing it."

"I fucked you over once. And I will forever apologize for that. But don't take that out on Sydney. She cares about you. And you obviously care about her. So stop fucking around, and yes you do break her heart a little bit every time. And she's one of my best friends, so if you break her heart completely, I will rip yours out." I can hear her moving towards the door, so I quickly move to her dresser inspecting a picture of Dimitri and Rose.

She closes the door after returning to her room. I can hear Adrian saying something in the Phone. But she looks at me hangs up on Adrian. Her arms go around me, enclosing me in a tight hug. I put my head on her shoulder and it becomes slightly damp. She pulls back from me just enough to look at my face. Her eyes are full of sympathy, sympathy I any other day wouldn't have wanted, but today I'm just so tired.

"You heard everything? Didn't you?" I laugh at how oblivious she is as to how much noise she made.

"Yeah. I think the entire block did." She just grins at me, before pulling me into a hug again.

"Wanna have a sleepover?" She asks, her head still buried in my shoulder. "We can call over Lissa and Jill, and have them bring pizza and candy."

"That sounds nice." I say. As she goes to call Lissa I sit down on her bed and think about Adrian. Rosa had said he cared about me. But if he did, he had a terrible way of showing it. I'm not sure I would be comfortable around someone with so many mood swing. Before my thoughts got any worse, Rose sat next to me. I lay my head in her lap. And before long Jill and Lissa join us, with pizza and candy. We eat and talk and I forget about Adrian.


	7. Chapter 7

_**A/N: The characters belong to Richelle Mead**_

Adrian and I don't talk to each other. For my part it's because I'm still hurt, and I feel dumb for being hurt. Adrian doesn't try talking to me either, he's probably mad that I interrupted his moment.

Rose keeps telling me that it's his loss. In all honestly he doesn't even seem at all different, he act like he did, before we ever kissed. It's infuriating, I want to talk to him, but Jill told me not to. She and Lissa will not tell me if Adrian has said anything about me. And seeing as they are the only ones, in the group, friends with him they would know.

"Well me and Lissa are going shopping after school wanna come?" Rose asks. I look at her realizing I zoned out. "It'll help you get your mind of a certain someone."

"I can't," I answer. "I have homework."

"No you don't, and even if you do you wouldn't wait for the last minute to do something. So you'll have plenty of time for it." She looks at me like it's already been decided that I'll go with them. Which I mean it has, when Rose Hathaway gets an idea, there's no way she'll let it go.

"Fine I'll go with you, but I won't stay long."

* * *

After having been in approximately ten stores, Rose got hungry, and announced that we would go to the food court. Which was how we ended up sitting around a table, Rose eating a greasy burger and fries, Lissa being off peeing, and I am eating a salad.

"What is the Adrian situation, honestly?" Rose asks, around her burger.

"What do you mean?" I ask, not in the mood for this.

"Come on," she urges. "Lissa isn't here you can talk about it."

"There is nothing to talk about. Adrian and I don't talk anymore, and it's not like we had known each other for a long time." I poke at my salad. "It was all a mistake from the start, I didn't think, and that was my first mistake."

"Come on. Don't be like that. Just talk to him."

"Well that is exactly what people have been telling me I shouldn't do." I stood up. "I'm leaving I have homework to do." I left her sitting alone, and went home.

* * *

My house is filled with my father's business partners. They are gathered around the dining table, they are in the kitchen, there's even one in my father's study. When I ask my mom why they're here she just tells me to be quiet and go to my room.

Zoe is nowhere in sight, she's probably at a friend's house. Our conjoined room is messy, I try to keep it clean and orderly, but within two days it's messy again. I sit down at my desk and find my homework.

At around eight PM my father's business partners leave. I venture downstairs, making sure they're all gone. I go to find my parents in the living room, but stop when I hear their hushed voices.

"You can't keep lying to them," my mom says. "Tell them what's going on, and let them choose whether they want it for themselves."

"It's not that easy," my dad answers. "You know that whatever happens he wants Sydney. She's too smart for her own good."

"Then let me run, I can take the girls and get away." My mom's begging, which is something I never wanted to hear. "We can get away from here, settle down someplace he won't find us."

"And where is that? Because last time someone tried to run they were found within three days."

I back away and go to my room not wanting to hear more of their conversation.

* * *

The next day I've pretty much forgotten their conversation. It's not that I don't remember it, I just don't want to think about it.

My dad drives me to school. I don't look at him, I just watch the trees pass by outside the car window. Rose is waiting for me when I get there. She has a mischievous smile on, but I don't think about it. She talks about how she and Lissa went bra shopping after I left yesterday. I begin zoning out, I think about all my father's business partners filling up our house and his conversation with my mom last night.

"Sydney?" Rose asks. "Are you even listening to me?"

"Not really," I answer, not feeling like covering it up. She sends me an angry look. "I'm sorry, I just have a lot on my mind."

"A lot of Adrian I bet." She wags her eyebrows.

"Not really, my parents are fighting, so I kind of have to work around that at home."

"Oh. I'm sorry."

"It's nothing," I say as I walk away from her toward my first class.

* * *

I'm walking down the hallway toward lunch, when someone touches my shoulder. At first I think it's just someone walking past me, so I just keep walking.

"Sydney," someone behind me says. I turn around and find myself face to face with Adrian. His stupid green eyes, that just look unnatural. I just raise my eyebrows at him in a silent question. "Rose said you wanted to talk." Of course! This was all Rose's fault.

"Well, I don't." I turn away from him, but he grabs my wrist. I turn around, I stare him down willing him to speak.

"I do," is all he says. And then he's pulling me down the hallway, towards an empty classroom. He pushes me in, and locks the door behind us. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have let you on in that way. It was wrong, but if you want to maybe we could try again."

My heartbeat quickens, this was what I had wanted him to say. And maybe if he had come to me earlier I would have said yes. But the fact that Rose had to tell him to talk to me, just cut the gesture short. "I can't do that. You haven't talked to me ever since I came to you house, and now you only talk to me because Rose told you to. So I'm sorry, but I just can't."

"Can we at least try being friends?" he asks, looking hopeful. "I promise I won't try anything."

"I doubt that. But, yes we can try, and if it doesn't work out it just doesn't." I pull him into a hug. He wraps my up in his arms and I feel like I belong, and I just discovered you don't have to be in a relationship to feel that way.


End file.
